Here is what the Spirit of God whispers to us: “Tell him I love him.”
It could be to a friend recovering from bypass surgery in the hospital; it could be to a homeless man, smelly and half nuts; it could to be your husband just going out the door for a few groceries… and never coming back again; it could be to the lady who cut in front of you in line; it could be to your best friend, the one you won’t ever see again who left the party early to walk home. For all of these situations, the Holy Spirit wants to have us “Tell him I love him,” sooner than later.
It could be to the guy you cut off who is pointing to the sky with his middle finger; it could be to the lady who cheated you out of the last parking space; it could be to your kids lying asleep in the still of the night; it could be to the man who took you for a fool and made off with the money before the job was done. It’s what the Spirit wants you to say: “Tell him I love him.”
It could be to the man in drag in the gay pride parade as well as the hate-filled “Christian” holding a sign that condemns him; it could be to the neighbor on one side who keeps to himself, and the one on the other that you wish would; it could be to the friend you just met and the one you’ve known forever; it could be to the one who abused you as well as the one you abused; it could be to the one you owe or the one who owes you; the message is the same: “Tell him I love him.”
It’s not only what they need to know and experience from us, it’s what we need to know to have the right attitude towards everyone. The message will always be the same: “Tell him I love him.” You can’t go wrong because it’s always true.
John Fischer The Catch 
Language choice matters. If you are talking to the lady in the check out line, I am guessing you would not want to “tell him I love him”.
Wow – for some reason, and of all your Catches I’ve read, this one managed to sneak past the many shields I still have left. Thank you… So much easier to say I love you, instead of carrying the hate in your heart… Talk about freeing your soul!!
Wish you enough!
Wanted to wish you a very Happy Bithday Pastor John and I love you & all of your family! 🙂
John, thank you. God’s trying to tell me something. Yesterday I received an email devotion from Larry Crabb with this quote from his “Connecting”: “Healing community does not depend on getting people to do what’s right or on figuring out what harmful psychological forces are causing us problems and then trying to fix what’s wrong. A community that heals is a community that believes the gospel provides forgiveness of all sin, a guaranteed future of perfect community forever, and the freedom now to indulge the deepest desires of our hearts, because the law of God is written within us–we have an appetite for holiness. Communities heal when they focus on releasing what’s good.”
It reminds me once again that I’m not the surgeon…at best, perhaps, I’m just an ambulance driver.
Today’s “Catch” brought that wonderful old Andre Crouch tune “Tell Them”…here’s a nice video of it on YouTube–http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8SNY3zwXio
Praying for you and your ministry
Tim
Hi John:
happy birthday. God loves you and so do we.
Mayre and Tim
I love you, and He loves you!!!!
Harold
Thank you!
very true…well written…well said.
It is a simple message that is complex to live everyday…
Love that message. Love only takes 4 letters and gripe takes 5!
Thx Leslie 4 your comments. I like that: “Love only takes 4 letters and gripe takes 5!”
I can DEFINITELY relate to what you said about loving “…the man…in the gay pride parade as well as the hate-filled ‘Christian’ holding a sign that condemns him….” My husband and I were recently at our denomination’s worldwide gathering, and there was a stand-off between those two groups across one of the side streets near our meeting place.
I find it much harder to love those who behave in an unloving manner than those whom they are denouncing. I’m SURE this is God’s way of reminding me to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and that I need to love everyone.
And thanks for the reminder to tell folks we love them, since it may be too late if we wait.
Happy birthday!